Returning to the Palouse area of eastern Washington after a several year absence, I found many familiar views, some different views and some troubling views. The scenery is just as beautiful as ever, such as the view from Steptoe Butte, the highest point in the Palouse. It offers a view of the surrounding landscape of wheat fields, barns, granaries, etc. and really shows why this area is called the ‘Tuscany of America’. There were also some troubling views as a new batch of ‘No Trespassing’ signs have appeared. This has been mostly due to inconsiderate visitors not respecting private property. Unfortunately, most of these visitors are photographers who destroy crops and other property in pursuit of a photograph. Everyone who visits this area must understand that this land is the livelihood of the residents and property must be respected. I hope if you visit this wonderful area of the country, you will treat it with respect.

One of the unexpected joys on this trip was finding a huge field of sunflowers amid the surrounding wheat fields. After locating the owner of the property and obtaining the owner’s permission, an early morning visit led to photographing the field under clouds of color as the sun rose behind me.

The sunflower field was fascinating and I had the opportunity to take a number of close-up shots of sunflowers in various stages of bloom. Above is my favorite shot of the morning.

Some of the familiar views of the Palouse are the old structures that dot the landscape. Many of these structures have disappeared since I last visited the area. If you enjoy photographing old barns and other buildings, I would recommend you visit the Palouse sooner rather than later. Each year will likely see more of these buildings vanish.

An early morning visit to the Palouse wind farm led to a colorful sunrise. This is a great place to photograph, the wind turbines provide nice graphical elements against the landscape.